Abstract: The H. Brett Melendy Oral History Collection documents the experiences of various university administrators and faculty through
oral history interviews. The interviewees include SJSU Presidents Jack Bunzel, Robert D. Clark, Gail Fullerton, and John T.
Wahlquist, as well other university administrators and faculty members such as Dwight Bentel, Hobart Burns, William G. Sweeny,
O.C. Williams, Mildred Winters, and others. The collection consists of audio tapes and transcriptions, correspondence, typed
and handwritten notes, and related files on specific departments and programs. The H. Brett Melendy Oral History Collection
(1965-1991) is arranged into three series: Series I, Oral History Audio Tapes and Transcriptions, 1982-1991; Series II, San
José State University Presidents Oral Histories, 1983-1991; and Series III, Correspondence and Research Materials, 1965-1984.

Physical location: Vault 1, Range 24A

Languages:
Languages represented in the collection:
English

Access

The collection is open for research.

Publication Rights

Copyright is assigned to the San José State University Special Collections & Archives. All requests for permission to publish
or quote from manuscripts must be submitted in writing to the Director of Special Collections. Permission for publication
is given on behalf of the Special Collections & Archives. Copyright restrictions may apply to digital reproductions of the
original materials. Use of digital files is restricted to research and educational purposes.

Preferred Citation

H. Brett Melendy Oral History Collection, MSS-2010-10-06, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Processing Information

Collection processed by Robert Donahue. Finding aid EAD encoded by Robert Donahue. Reviewed by Danelle Moon.

Biographical History

Born in Eureka, California, H. Brett Melendy (1924-2008) spent most of his life in California and Hawaii. He received his
Master of Arts in Education in 1948 and his Doctorate in History in 1952 from Stanford University. During this time, he also
taught high school in Fresno, California. Melendy began his academic career as a history professor at San José State College
in 1955. He served in several positions including: Academic Council Faculty Chair; Associate Academic Vice President; Dean
of Undergraduate Studies; History Department Chair; History Professor; Interim Academic Vice President; and University Archivist.
Melendy also spent some of his academic career as an administrator and history professor in the Hawaiian University system
in the 1970s. Melendy's published works include
Chinese and Japanese Americans (1984);
Asians in America: Filipinos, Koreans, and East Indians (1977); and
The Governors of California: Peter H. Burnett to Edmund G. Brown (1965), as well as numerous scholarly articles.

In 1983 Melendy was appointed as the University Archivist from 1983-1987 on a half-time basis, while also maintaining half-time
responsibilities as the Director of the Engineering Institute in the Engineering Department. In this role, Melendy organized
and conducted oral history interviews of select San José State University administrators and faculty. In 1987 the University
Archivist position was eliminated. From 1987 to 1994, Melendy continued to work in the History and Engineering Departments,
and in 1993 he was awarded Professor Emeritus status.

Bibliography

Gilbert, Benjamin F., and Burdick, Charles.
Washington Square, 1857-1979: The History of San José State University. San José, California: San José State University, 1980.

Related Material

Bunzel, John. John H. Bunzel, President 1970-1978,
San José State University: An Oral History. San José, California: San José, 1987.

San José State University Faculty Papers of H. Brett Melendy, MSS-2009-05-01, San José State University Library Special Collections & Archives.

Scope and Content of Collection

The H. Brett Melendy Oral History Collection documents the experiences of various university administrators and faculty through
oral history interviews. The interviewees include SJSU Presidents Jack Bunzel, Robert D. Clark, Gail Fullerton, and John T.
Wahlquist, as well other university administrators and faculty members such as Dwight Bentel, Hobart Burns, William G. Sweeny,
O.C. Williams, Mildred Winters, and others. The collection consists of audio tapes and transcriptions, correspondence, typed
and handwritten notes, and related files on specific departments and programs.

Arrangement

The H. Brett Melendy Oral History Collection (1965-1991) is arranged into three series: Series I, Oral History Audio Tapes
and Transcriptions, 1982-1991; Series II, San José State University Presidents Oral Histories, 1983-1991; and Series III,
Correspondence and Research Materials, 1965-1984.

Indexing Terms

The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the library's online public access catalog.